No Solicitors Sign
No Solicitors Sign
We live on a quiet street in a peaceful neighborhood in Raleigh. Unfortunately, every so often, my son’s peaceful naps were interrupted by: DING DONG! And when I answered the door, this is who greeted me.
ARRGGGHHH!
I finally decided to halt the door-to-door salespeople in their tracks. Especially after a neighbor informed me that sometimes these so-called salespeople aren’t actually selling anything. There have been a few incidents of burglary in our neighborhood, and one of the burglars had actually knocked on doors the day before. Apparently he was casing the home to see what homes were empty at what times. Plus, it offered them an opportunity to peek inside and see if there were any valuable items inside. Scary! Especially when I’m home alone with the little ones.
I decided to take matters into my own hands and create a No Solicitor Sign.
While at Goodwill, I searched for two small picture frames. The frames I bought were in good shape, but I added some new paint and glaze to give them a fresh look.
I printed out a simple message on decorative paper and inserted it into the frames.
No Solicitors! Unless:
- You are a Girl Scout.
- You are a Boy Scout.
- You live on this street
- You are a friend of ours
This message seemed to cover all the bases and still allow for the kids selling muchies!
I hung one sign by our side door.
And put a second one inside the storm door of our front door.
I can honestly say that we have not had a single unwanted salesperson knock or ring our doorbell since I hung the signs.
I’m not the only one who can’t stand solicitors, Becca from Blue Cricket Design cut some vinyl for her side light by her front door. I can’t help but smile every time I see it. 😉
Blue Cricket Design’s Sign
Want your own No Solicitor Sign? Download it HERE!
We get solicitors all the time and it drives me INSANE. I just don’t answer the door. The just ring and ring and I ignore. I think I need a sign!
Ha! I knew those darn “art” salesmen were up to no good.
What a great idea! With a yard full of dogs, we don’t get solicitors at our house. At work we have a no solicitor sign and it has stopped no one. Hope your sign works better than ours!
I’ve just started to read your blog and am enjoyed so many of your posts.
– Joy
I bought a magazine from a teenager once who had been dropped off in a van in our neighborhood. It was for a “boys club” and I needed to renew a mag so I did it. WELL, he basically stole my identity by using the routing number on my check…scary! Needless to say, Girl Scouts only! And Boy Scouts. Or Y Guides. Clearly I need a cutie sign like yours! 🙂
I love it!! It’s perfect! We live in an older subdivision with lots of retired school teachers and we live within a 2 block radius of 3 schools and 2 churches. We get lots of solicitors. Even with a No Soliciting sign up, it is still so bad that my husband had to disconnect the doorbell.
I sure don’t mind the kids coming to my door, but during the week in the middle of the afternoon, it isn’t kids and they don’t have anything I want.
I love the Girl and Boy Scouts, the festival queens & princesses, the church kids doing a scavenger hunt for food for a food drive…however, I don’t need a financial planner, insurance salesman, my carpets cleaned, my driveway shoveled, etc.
Oh my goodness…my neighbor and I were saying last month how many crazy solicitors we’ve had lately on our street. It seems they like us. We even had some guy trying to sell his science fiction novel door to door – offering to sign it personally!! I would text her so that she would have a head’s up! I put a nice, pretty sign inside the window – of course, my kitchen looks right out on the porch which can make for a good/bad scenario. I haven’t had a solicitor for a month – until today. They guy hardly got a word out of his mouth and I sent him packing {nicely}….love your idea. I may need to make one more permanent! I also love the vinyl, too!
Becky B.
http://www.organizingmadefun.blogspot.com
Organizing Made Fun
This is a GREAT idea! I hate having solicitors come to the door and make me feel guilty for not buying whatever they are selling.
I totally agree. During our short stint in a neighborhood in a decently large city, we got one or two a month. Usually didn’t wake up any nappers (thank heavens), but I really didn’t like the hustling I usually got, or the guilt trips, etc. And they were all for things I didn’t need, didn’t want, or didn’t use. (Or all three . . . lol)
I eventually hung up a no soliciting sign as well (but without the caveats, because we can’t eat gluten, sugar, food coloring, dairy, soy . . . you get the idea. Not so fun.
This is something I have been wanting to do for my family and I. I have heard those stories of burglaries and it scares me… There was also an article in the paper a few weeks back about some of the sales-people around here were arrested for fraud… I have gotten to the point now though where if I look out the window and I don’t know you, I don’t answer lol.
You are my hero! Fabulous sign. I too do not want to send away the friends and neighbors from our local schools. I enjoy supporting those kiddos, just like other have done for our children. Thanks for the great idea. :)_
This is a great sign. I get those unwanted solicitors but never the sweet treat ones. You aren’t that far from me. I live in Columbia,SC.
Love the sign! I’ve contemplated doing something like this also. Seems like someone is always knocking on the door trying to sell us something. I find it highly annoying (unless of course they are selling food).
This is great. The wording is perfect. I’ve been wanting a sign that lets the neighbor kids know it’s still ok to come over with school fundraiser sales, but chases off the weird people from the meat packing plant that show up in our neighborhood once a month. Thank you.
I have never (knock on wood) had a solicitor…even of the Thin Mint selling variety…but I know of people who have the no solicitors signs and they still get knocks from various church people or people asking for bottles & cans for a bottle drive that then start a sales pitch. But me? Not even a trick or treater! And I live on a very very busy street!! 😉 Maybe my house isn’t inviting like yours is 😉 hehe